REVIEW: Fiddling in the Field with Grey fox Bluegrass Festival
07/17 @ Walsh Farm, Oak Hill
Photos by Magnolia Allen
“Grey Fox offers more than just a collection of musicians. It exposes new audiences to their next favorite artist, introduces new takes on old styles, and creates curiosity among younger generations to involve themselves in a historic musical movement.”
The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival was one of those events I’d always heard folks around me rave about, but never had the chance to experience for myself. “Some of my friends go all out for the festival every year,” or “Grey Fox was my first real festival experience,” are just a few of the many stories I’d heard over the years. Finally, after a few summers of being either busy or away when Grey Fox was in session, I got the opportunity to attend the festival during its exciting Friday lineup of performances.
The Grey Fox festival grounds were overwhelmingly larger than I could have imagined upon entrance. After passing the ticket booth, it felt as if the rows of camping tents and RVs adorned with Grateful Dead tapestries, tie-dye, and hand-painted art would never end. There was something uniquely fun about the camping atmosphere, too. It felt less like a festival and more like a temporary little town built on music, shared snacks, folding chairs, and friendly hellos from strangers who somehow already felt like neighbors.
Once I trekked past the first batch of campers, I could truly see just how vast the festival stretched. With four performance tents and stages, yards of camping rows, and an array of food tents and vendors selling handmade-goods, the festival offered enough activities to keep attendees busy for all five days of the event. As I aimed to walk toward the High Meadow Stage, located at the farthest point on the festival grounds, I was breathless from both the sudden uphill climb and from the realization that this festival had already far exceeded all the expectations I carried with me when I entered the grounds.
Admittedly, I went into Friday being quite unfamiliar with many of the performing acts, yet excited to see how I might connect with these musicians. I arrived at the festival parking lot at 11 a.m. and took a quick walk along the side of the country road toward the festival grounds. While I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the bands and performers, I rushed over to the Creekside Stage to take a look at the Burnett Sisters Band, a group of musicians invited from East Tennessee State University. The five-member band, three of whom are sisters, was particularly intriguing, as the trio took turns stepping up to the mic. Seeing powerful women confidently take the stage and put their own spin on a historical genre was empowering to witness. The Burnett Sisters Band was so enjoyable that I had to return for their later set.
The music of bluegrass is undoubtedly essential, but what about the stories built behind decades of performances and creation? Grey Fox provided ample opportunities to connect with the personal anecdotes of experienced bluegrass performers, and I had the lucky chance to sit in for “Life on the Road with Ron Thomason: Memories, Misadventures, and a Few Tall Tales,” a conversation with the Dry Branch Fire Squad frontman ahead of his final performance of the weekend.
Thomason, alongside his bandmates and friends, took the stage with quick wit, advice, and fond stories from the 50 years Dry Branch Fire Squad has spent performing. From accidentally leaving a friend at a gas station while on tour to a horse somersaulting during a race with a friend, Thomason captivated the crowd with his witty sense of humor and honest connections to the music and performers of the bluegrass genre. Dry Branch Fire Squad has been a part of Grey Fox for decades, and their influence on the genre is undeniable.
While perusing up and down what many refer to as Grey Fox's “Shakedown Street,” a row of small businesses and concert attendees selling anything from crocheted tank tops to henna artwork, I finally ran into Guitaro 5000, an online musician I had been told would be in attendance. Guitaro 5000, standing alongside two microphones and a large sign reading, “Sing with me for free,” invited passersby to request any song for him to learn on the guitar, as they sang together. While I did not trust my singing abilities enough to join him on the mic, I enjoyed seeing new people gather around him each time I passed by between sets.
Toward the end of my stay at the festival, I stumbled across the Catskill Stage as people began to form a line at the front of the barrier, awaiting the arrival of what I later learned was the band I Draw Slow. This performance was definitely the most monumental of my visit. Their hour-long set seemed to swirl by as sibling vocalists Louise and Dave Holden added entrancing vocal riffs that flowed over the beautiful sound of their Americana and Celtic musical style.
I Draw Slow, a group originating from Ireland and known for its talented blend of bluegrass and Irish traditional styles, was an immediate hit for me. It quickly became clear just how many dedicated fans were in attendance that evening. While some folks yelled suggestions toward the stage, others hit every lyric without missing a beat as they jumped around on the wooden flooring. While Grey Fox gave me a full day of amazing memories, I Draw Slow gave me a number of songs that I eagerly jotted down during their performance, planning to search for the lyrics on Spotify as soon as I could eventually find cell service.
Festival popularity does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival provides a close-to-home festival experience centered around such a beautiful genre of music. Listening to bluegrass is an enjoyable experience in and of itself, but being able to witness and connect all the layered instruments to their performers creates an even deeper appreciation for the music. As someone who experiences live music mostly in the realm of rock, with little expansion outside a trio of guitarists, a bass player, and a drummer, surrounding myself with unbelievably talented fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and upright bass players helped shape my curiosity about the genre.
As the dinner break commenced at the High Meadow and Catskill stages, I took that as my sign to begin my hike back to the car. The entire walk was filled with overlapping gratitude from my friend and me for our amazing day filled with music, shopping, and dancing. Our day at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival was greater than I could have imagined, and I now truly understand what all the rave reviews were about. Grey Fox offers more than just a collection of musicians. It exposes new audiences to their next favorite artist, introduces new takes on old styles, and creates curiosity among younger generations to involve themselves in a historic musical movement.
